News Summary
Phoenix faced significant travel disruptions and canceled events due to severe monsoon thunderstorms. Heavy rain, hail, and lightning resulted in road flooding and delays at Sky Harbor Airport. The Arizona State Fair closed for the day, and several high school football games were canceled, while ASU’s televised game against TCU continued despite adverse weather. Rainfall reached 1.11 inches by afternoon, and a flood watch was issued as flash flooding concerns grew. Ground stops at local airports exacerbated travel challenges, with more storms expected over the weekend.
Phoenix experienced severe monsoon thunderstorms on Friday, September 26, 2025, leading to significant travel disruptions and event cancellations throughout the area. Heavy rainfall, hail, and intense lightning struck the Valley starting in the morning, causing water rescues, road flooding, and notable delays at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
The Arizona State Fair was closed for the day due to the storm, with previously scheduled activities disrupted. To accommodate visitors, fair officials issued free admission tickets valid for any day through October 26, available from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. In addition, a high school football game scheduled between ALA West Foothills and Arcadia High School was canceled around 3:30 p.m., while many other games initially intended for 7 p.m. were still on track to proceed.
Meanwhile, Arizona State University’s football team was set to compete against TCU on national television at 6 p.m., although the widely anticipated Sparky’s Tailgate event was canceled due to the adverse weather conditions.
As the storm progressed, rainfall intensified rapidly, with the National Weather Service recording 1.11 inches of rain at Sky Harbor by 1:55 p.m. This amount surpassed the total rainfall accumulated during the entire monsoon season up until that point. By the end of the day, the total season-to-date rainfall reached 2.02 inches, with only a few days remaining before the official close of the monsoon season on September 30. Rainfall totals across the metro area varied significantly, with parts of Fountain Hills receiving over 2 inches, while some areas in the East Valley recorded less than a tenth of an inch.
Alongside the heavy rainfall, large hailstones measuring between 1 and 1.5 inches were reported during the storms. As the precipitation caused concerns about flash flooding, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch that remained in effect until 11 p.m. on Friday. Meteorologists warned the public of the possibility of rapidly developing flash floods and advised staying away from hazardous roads.
In terms of travel, the storm created considerable delays, as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented ground stops at both Phoenix and Las Vegas airports, compounding the struggles travelers faced throughout the day. As the rain persisted, it was expected that more showers and storms could occur overnight. Additionally, high temperatures in Phoenix were predicted to stay below normal, hovering around 90 degrees over the weekend.
Despite the disruptions caused by the severe weather, no major damages were reported, although multiple water rescues were needed as first responders handled the emergency situations arising from the flooding. The portion of the Valley that received extensive rain saw many areas amass over 1 inch of rainfall within less than an hour, marking an unexpected weather event for the normally arid region.
The thunderstorms were attributed to a late-season influx associated with a robust low-pressure system positioned off the Southern California coast. Rain and storm chances were anticipated to continue throughout the weekend, leaving residents and travelers to navigate the aftermath of the severe storms.
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Additional Resources
- Arizona Central: Rain Chances Increase in Phoenix
- AZ Family: Friday Night Events Impacted by Monsoon Storm
- Fox Weather: Arizona and Nevada Weather Alert
- Fox 10 Phoenix: Arizona Weather Forecast
- KTAR: Thunderstorms and Flooding in Phoenix
- Wikipedia: Monsoon
- Google Search: Phoenix Weather
- Google Scholar: Phoenix Flooding September 2025
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Flash Flood
- Google News: Phoenix Monsoon Storm
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MILWAUKEE STAFF WRITER The MILWAUKEE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREMilwaukee.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Summerfest, Milwaukee Film Festival, and the Milwaukee Boat Show. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and Visit Milwaukee, plus leading businesses in manufacturing and brewing that power the local economy such as Harley-Davidson and MillerCoors. As part of the broader HERE network, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Wisconsin's dynamic landscape.
